License plate and trunk handle assembly



May 13,1941. 1.. B. SlMON 7 LICENSE PLATE AND TRUNK HANDLE ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 16, 1939 j l 6.2 4o H 72 g i MW AV 4 1 I 74 69 6'7 75 z if. 2 7a a 4 s2 60 Zinnentor 6 4211215 f1 52222012 I 35 a (Ittomegs Patented May 13, 1941 LICENSE PLATE AND TRUNK HANDLE ASSEMBLY Lewis B. Simon, Detroit, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 16, 1939, Serial No. 295,229

3 Claims.

This invention relates to automotive vehicles and has particular reference to an improvement in a combined rear door handle, rear door latch mounting, license plate holder, and illuminator for the license plate. 5 otherwise. The license plate holder 36 comprises In the prior art most of these devices have been the upright member 42 having the hook end 44, assembled individually, although in some inand the transverse member 46 to which the lower stances one or two of them have been combined, side of the license plate 48 is secured. and their separate mounting has necessitated Inside the door 8 there is mounted a socket 50 separate attaching features for each individual in which there is removabiy received the light unit. This older construction is more expensive bulb 52, this light bulb being connected to the and does not give as neat an appearance as the usual wiring or lighting system of the vehicle. combined structure of the instant application. The light 52 is positioned at an opening 12 and The essential novelty of the invention relates immediately in the rear of the central hollow part to the mounting on the rear door of the automo- 22 of the bracket and shines through the 1 1- bile, a hollow bracket or casting on which the low part and onto a mirror 56 which is mounted license plate holder is secured, The hollow castby means of the screws 58 on an inclined surface ing has a mirror therein and a window in the on an inner member 54. The mirror is adapted top thereof and a lightin the door shines through to reflect the light coming from the bulb upthe hollow casting onto the mirror and through 20 wardly at an angle and to pass through a winthe window to illuminate the license plate. At dow 60 mounted in the upper bulged part 62 of the same time the rear door handle is turnably the bracket 20. This window is of a suitable mounted on the bracket and is shaped so as to width so that the light beams indicated at 64 appear to be a continuation or a part of the Will be reflected by the mirror through the winbracket. This handle has the usual key operdow and onto the license plate 48. ated lock thereinand is secured to a shaft which The handle 66 for the rear door has the usual operates the rear latch of the door. key operated lock barrel 6'! mounted therein. On the drawing: The key is indicated at 68. The handle has the Figure l is a perspective view of the rear end lateral arms 69 and H spaced from the bracket of an automobile showing the invention applied. and whose inner and outer contours are a con-' Figure 2 is a detailed view partially in section tinuation of adjacent parts of the bracket 20. through the center of the bracket or casting. The outer contour of the handle and bracket is Figure 3 is a. detailed sectional view showing curved in plan. This handle is secured to the the manner of securing the bracket or casting to outer end of a shaft 10 mounted in the bracket 20. the rear door. The handle extends inwardly through the open- Referring to the drawing, the numeral 2 indiing 12 in the door and operatively into engagecates an automobile as a whole. This automobile ment with the latch mechanism enclosed in the has the rear deck 4 provided with an opening 6 housing 14. This housing is secured by means closed by a door 8 mounted at its upper end on of bolts 16 to the framing 78 of the door. A hinges H1. The rear wheels are indicated at [2, t h .bolt 80 is operated by the shaft 10 and the hub cap at M, and the usual tire at la. The gages in an pening 82 in a, flange 84 formed in fenders are indicated at I8, the rear tail lights at the framing around the Opening l 9. The parts so far described are conventional, I claim: and per se form no part of the invention. 1. In an automotive vehicle having a rear door, i novel bracket F w {mentlon a hollow casting secured to the door and com- 1s lndicated at 20 and 1s hollow as indicated at prising a mounting means for a license plate 22 m Engines 2 and Eaich of the P holder and a mounting means for a latch for the has the mwa'rdly prolectmg part 24 provlded door, a handle mounted in the casting and caith th d d opening 26; This opening mates pable otf use to raise the door or of being rotated with an outwardly bent reinforcement 28 formed Operate the latch, a window in the casting, an in the framing of the door 8. A machine bolt 30 inch-med min-or in t casting adja nt t Passes through an Open in t reinfolcenilenb dow, a source of light in the door capable of shin- 2'8 and is threaded into the opening 6 r y ing through an opening therein onto the mirror, to hold the bracket or castin 20 on the door. and a license plate holder mounted on the casting The upper part of the bracket is provided with an opening 32 through which there extends the foot 34 of a license plate holder 36. The foot 34 is bent inside the bracket as shown at 38 and is secured to the bracket by means of rivets 40, or

and having a license plate therein capable of being illuminated by light from the source reflected from the mirror through the window.

2. In an automotive vehicle having a rear door, a hollow casting secured to the door and comprising a mounting means for a license plate holder and a mounting means for a door handle, a latch for the door mounted in the casting, a handle mounted in said casting and capable of being used toraise the door or of being rotated to operate the latch, a key operated lock barrel mounted in the handle and capable of looking the handle against rotation, a license plate holder mounted on the casting, a window in the casing adjacent the license plate holder, a reflecting mirror in the casting adjacent the window, a source of light in the door, said door having an opening to enable the rays of light to fall on the mirror, the reflected rays from said mirror passing through the window to illuminate a license hollow casting and on the reflector, the reflected light from the reflector shining through the win- 15 dow and onto a license plate in the holder.

LEWIS B. SIMON. 

